A Perfect Facelift for Your Home’s Exterior

Everyone always thinks of updating their home’s interior, but what about the exterior? The exterior is your first layer of protection and the first thing people see. Here are several ways to enhance the exterior of the home from professionals in the industry.

A Safe Space

Hardie siding is the first big step to take when you are upgrading the exterior of your home. Good quality siding will help defend against storms, exterior fires, and pests. The siding will not do its job if it is not installed by a professional.

“A product that has withstood the test of time is important. But so is selecting a qualified contractor,” says Evan Crow, a custom homebuilder.

Minimal Upkeep

Protecting your home is not the only thing that siding is important for. You want the siding to also be easy to maintain. “To take care of your Hardie siding, inspect your gutters and downspouts regularly. Other than that, I encourage an annual soft wash with mild detergent, to prevent both aesthetic and integrity damage,” advises Crowe.

Personalized Curb Appeal

Any home renovation can be both fun and stressful all at the sametime. But it is nice when a visitor, or you drive up to a wonderful home with great curb appeal. Not only will Hardie siding give you protection, it will also give your home a great new look. “From trim boards to smooth lap siding to stucco-like panels, James Hardie has a number of authentic , cutting edge products,” says Crowe.

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A $30 Million Bridge in St. Tammany Parish

 St. Tammany Parish is a desirable area to live in on the North Shore as it has been rapidly growing for a while now. In fact, the area had major road projects that were done and completed in 2019 along U.S. 190 between I-12 and Covington.

The project helped the flow of the northbound traffic on I-12 until it squeezed into one lane to go over the bridge at Bogue Falaya River. The old bridge was built in the 1940s and does not fit the traffic flow of today’s commute.

“It’s been an issue for years,” Parish Council member David Fitzgerald said. At times, he said, the congestion “is almost impenetrable.”

The parish’s population grew 13% between 2010 and 2020. Today there are around 270,000 residents with 330,000 registered vehicles. That means that U.S. 190 around the old bridge has around 70,000 vehicles on average a day.

They have begun a project to build a $30 million bridge to replace the current vintage bridge. The bridge will be done in two phases with the first being the one going northbound and the second will be southbound. The bridges will each have two 12-foot wide traffic lanes along with shoulders. The Department of Transportation and Development says the project is slated to be completed in 2025.

“We’re somewhat worried about the construction,” Colin Patrick, co-owner of the nearby Pat’s Seafood Market and Cajun Deli said, adding with a hopeful note: “I believe it’ll be good for business after it’s done.”

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Upgrades To Make a Home More Appealing

 In today’s market, buyers seek energy-efficient and eco-friendly features when searching for a new home. According to the National Association of Realtors‘ 2023 Realtors and Sustainability Report, almost half of consumers in the current market are focusing on sustainability.

“Buyers often seek homes that either lessen their environmental footprint or reduce their monthly energy costs. There is value in promoting green features and energy information to future home buyers,” says Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist and VP of Research at NAR.

In the report, there are many green features that are most important. These include proximity to frequently visited places, a comfortable living space, utility bills plus operating costs, and a home’s windows, doors and siding. These all can be changed while the location of your home cannot.

ENERGY STAR also points out that there are other features that can be updated that will make your home not only more comfortable but energy efficient as well. Make sure your HVAC system is maintained and working properly. This also goes with your hot water heater which should ideally be upgraded to a heat pump water heater. Upgrade to a smart thermostat that can regulate temperature settings and reduce the cost of your energy bill. Proper sealing and insulation in your attic can also help with the heating and cooling of your home. Air can also seep out of windows, so upgrading to energy-efficient windows will reduce the transfer of heat.

Not only will an energy-efficient home sell for more money, but you can also benefit from tax credits and rebates for energy-efficient upgrades. Focusing on energy efficiency and eco-friendly features will make your home very appealing to buyers.

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Is a Raised Garden Bed Right for You?

 A raised garden bed can look lovely but there are things to consider before making the decision to install one. A raised garden bed takes planning and can be a bit pricey. To save on costs, you will want to get it right the first go around. Before you jump into the project, here are some questions to ask when considering a raised garden bed.

1. How do you decide where to put your raised beds?

The location of your bed will depend on what you are growing in your raised garden bed. For example, if you choose vegetables, you will need a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight. So you will want to choose the location of your bed according to the amount of sunlight the area tends to get in a day. There are sunlight calculators you can use or even an app on your cell such as Sunseeker or Lumos.

2. What type of soil do you need?

Since a raised garden bed is elevated off the ground, you will want to use a soil mix that will hold water and nutrients. Absorbent soil can be a little costly especially if your bed is large. Recommended is a topsoil mixed with compost and peat moss.

3. How deep should you build your raised beds?

If your raised garden is sitting above fertile soil, then it should be raised 12 inches or less from the ground. The reason for this is because plant roots will have access to a foot or so of nutrients below bed level.  For soil that is not as fertile, you need to raise the bed higher as high as three feet off the ground.

4. What size should raised beds be?

The length and width of a raised bed will depend on a couple of things. If you want to be able to reach comfortably from both sides, you will need to measure from your arm to shoulder to fingertips and double the length of your arm and then subtract six to eight inches. So basically a popular size is 3 to 4 feet wide by 6,8 or 10 feet long.

5. What’s the best material for raised bed gardening?

The most popular materials include wood, plastic, aluminum and galvanized metal. If you choose to do wood, you will need corner reinforcements and cross bracing. The best types of wood to use include cedar, cypress, redwood, or white oak. You do not want to use treated lumber because it contains toxic chemicals.

Take time to carefully plan out your raised garden. Also, answer these five questions to see if a raised bed is really right for you and your garden.

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And the Winner Is..... Homeownership

 The current housing market sees high mortgage rates, concerns about another recession and inflationary pressure. Even with these trends, it is a great time to buy a home because the long-term benefits are still worth it.

If you ask a homeowner who has had their home for 5, 10, or more years they will tell you they have no regrets. The main reason is due to the growth in a home’s value over time. According to Fannie Mae, seventy percent of those that were surveyed said that buying a home is a safe investment.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reveals how much homes have increased in price over the last five years. The highest overall increase was seen in the Mountain region at 68.9%. Next came South Atlantic with a 67.5% increase, then East South Central at 63%, New England came in with 57.5%, East North Central and West South Central at 51.8%, Middle Atlantic came in at 49.4%, West North Central with 48.8% and last is Pacific with 48%.

As far as the percent change in home prices was drastic. The highest was in the Mountain region at 457.5% and the lowest was in East North Central at 214.2%. The Pacific region had a 334.1% increase, South Atlantic by 320.4%, 302.4% in West South Central, West North Central 270.1%, and Middle Atlantic with 239.9%.

Talk to a Realtor who will help you with the options of purchasing a new home. They can also let you know the great long-term benefits of owning a home.

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June 2023 Sees a Positive Move When It Comes to Builder Confidence

 For the first time in the past year or so, builder confidence has moved into the positive range. The confidence booster is due to the heavy buyer demand, low home inventory and the increase in productivity in the supply chain. The National Association of Home Builders had a lot of great data to share about the housing market.

As of June 2023, builders’ confidence in newly-built single-family homes rose to fifty-five points. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) this is the sixth straight month that there has been an increase in builder confidence.

“Builders are feeling cautiously optimistic about market conditions given low levels of existing home inventory and ongoing gradual improvements for supply chains,” said NAHB Chairman Alicia Huey, a custom home builder and developer from Birmingham, Ala. “However, access for builder and developer loans has become more difficult to obtain over the last year, which will ultimately result in lower lot supplies as the industry tries to expand off cycle lows.”

“A bottom is forming for single-family home building as builder sentiment continues to gradually rise from the beginning of the year,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “This month marks the first time in a year that both the current and future sales components of the HMI have exceeded 60, as some buyers adjust to a new normal in terms of interest rates. The Federal Reserve nearing the end of its tightening cycle is also good news for future market conditions in terms of mortgage rates and the cost of financing for builder and developer loans.”

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Wine Tastings at a Lousiana Vineyard

 Bush, Louisiana is the home to Wild Bush Farm & Vineyard where patrons can go and enjoy local wine. Their tasting room is quaint and even the place patrons can go to dine.

Chef Marcus Jacobs, co-founder of Marjie’s Grill and Seafood Sally’s, made the inaugural dinner over an open flamed grill that was next to the tasting room. Owners Monica Bourgeois and Neil Gernon are excited about the new possibilities for Wild Bush Farm & Vineyard.

Previously known as Pontchartrain Vineyards, Wild Bush, is just north of Covington in St. Tammany Parish. The scene is beautiful and looks like it has been plucked from a piece of land in California wine country.

In fact, currently, the wine that is produced at Wild Bush begins in the West Coast wine country. It is brought over and then finished at Wild Bush. The owners want to start growing grapes locally that can also produce wine. This Louisiana climate is tricky and it will take a “newly developed hybrid grape” to make it successful.

“It’s a playground for us,” Gernon said. “We don’t have rules for it. Does it taste good? How can we combine what grows here to make something that’s great, or does what we’re growing taste good enough to be a single varietal? There’s so much we can do here.”

So far, Wild Bush has four varieties that are grown on the property which include muscadine grapes, old-school Norton grapes and blueberries. “We want to change what people think about when they hear ‘Louisiana wine.’ We want to make something they can show friends from other places, and say this is what Louisiana wine can be,” Gernon said.

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